Warnings
What is also common, unfortunately, is the ignoring of warning signs. It almost seems to be part and parcel with our nature.
NEWSCURRENTTRUTH
Photo courtesy of Kelly Sikkeme
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20
Did you know that President John F. Kennedy was warned by the UN Ambassador Adlai Stevenson not to go to Dallas because his life could be in danger? He didn’t heed the warning and was assassinated. A man named John O’Neil was fully aware of what was coming on 9/11, but his warnings (even as an FBI senior investigator) were ignored. O’Neil died while working in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11. Roger Boisjoly recognized that the seals on the space shuttle solid rocket boosters could fail if they got too cold. He notified the company that made them over a year before the Challenger exploded shortly after lift-off due to the failure of those seals.*
Down through history, many times someone saw the outcome of a disaster before it happened. Whether through insight into the circumstances, previous experience, or just common sense. And those warnings often were ignored completely, leaving people open to disaster and slaughter.
Warnings are all around us and speak of things we must pay attention to. We get them from the signs on the road for safe driving. Our computers tell us when there are things wrong. Like viruses or memory capacity. Even our children warn us when they are dealing with issues. So warning signs are common. In fact, there is nothing I can think of that doesn’t come with some sort of warning sign when things are about to go wrong.
What is also common, unfortunately, is the ignoring of warning signs. It almost seems to be part and parcel with our nature. And it goes clear back to the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve, despite knowing God face to face as no else ever has since, ignored the warning to not eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Even with certain death as the outcome.
The truth is we can look back at the history of mankind and recognize many times when there was a warning sign pre-imminent to doom. Watching news bloopers the other night, I was struck by the video of a man reporting from the street of a city being consumed by a hurricane. His words were, “Authorities have warned that anyone not truly needing to be here in the city, should leave.” He said this as he was being pushed around by the wind and storm. Warnings often come and even those giving the warning, naturally subject to it, ignore the same as the rest of us.
Jesus warned us of many things that are not only important, but are even more important as we continue to move forward in human history. Some of His warnings and the warnings of the Bible are happening as we speak in 2022. We were told that in the last days, wrong would be right and right would be wrong. Even in the Church itself, we will find the twisting of the Word to suit those who lead. (2 Timothy 4:3)
Remember the passage in Matthew 24 where Jesus spoke of the destruction of the temple and the disciples asked about the time-line. He warned of messianic deception, wars, rumors of wars (false info with power - i.e., internet rumors that cause as much terror as a real war), nations against nations, and so on. These times will lead to Christian persecutions, people being greatly offended - causing dire hate of one another, false prophets, lawlessness (massive violations of law, often affirmed or permitted by leadership- thereby encouraging more) will increase and because of it love (God-given love) will fade.
If any of that sounds familiar, remember Jesus warned of this 2,000 years ago. God is not unaware of our times!
So we live in ignorance. So what? We got grace! We aren’t supposed to use grace to cover our failures. I don’t mean the mistakes of the past, but those things we do on a regular basis and then proclaim our righteousness because of grace. This thinking is a severe abuse of His goodness and will lead us into a false relationship as we slowly sink into worldliness. Which leads us back to a life apart from God. Death.
Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (NKJV) Can this be any more obvious? We have to ask ourselves, are we part of this? Have we endorsed this behavior through our desire to “just live our lives”?
The Bible teaches us to put away sin, not embrace it. But in our society (world-wide) we have traded teaching morality through love for teaching acceptance of everything as the proof of that love. CNN posted an article about the acceptance of pedophilia. Saying that, “One cannot choose to not be a pedophile...” (Do pedophiles deserve sympathy, 2012). ). And it’s more than sexual sins. It’s the very societal foundations that promote the hunger to become rich while still a child. It’s the isolation we make a part of our day to day life, forcing people to wear masks and cover themselves up. It’s the insistence of racism. Which is still a problem and one that grows every day. Again, these issues are all a world-wide problem, not just the US.
The phenomenon that is covering our planet is exactly as the Word of God said it would be 2,000 years ago.
Jesus told us that a person that commits sin is a slave to sin and that they need the truth in them to set them free. (John 8:31-36) Jesus came in love, but admonished us that wrong is still wrong. He loves thesinner, but cannot save one who chooses to do the opposite of what He teaches us! Salvation is provided by Jesus, but it is made by the choice of those for whom it is given. Fighting the morality of the Church to establish the legitimacy of one’s wrongs (sins) is, literally, going the opposite direction.
The warnings have been in place for 2 millennia. The signs have been there all along. And we cannot say that “people don’t know”. The Bible remains the most wide spread book in history. No other writing has created such a stir and the millions who have taken it to the world around us. Even the world itself and the nature of our existence is proof of God, so the world is falling with full knowledge of rebellion against the Maker of all. (Romans 1:20)
So how do we as God’s Family proceed in the midst of it all? Jude reminded us of what we need to do in these times. “But you, my delightfully loved friends, constantly and progressively build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith by praying every moment in the Spirit. Fasten your hearts to the Love of God and receive the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gives us eternal life.” Jude 1:20-21, (TPT)
Despite the times and world we live in twisting and perverting the goodness of God and His creation, the people of God still win. Let us have compassion on those who would war against us (as Christ commanded) with the knowledge that as we live for Jesus, so we will die for Him.